Festooned with garlands and colourful bridles, turbaned riders mounted on horseback in full gallop lower their lances at tiny wooden blocks as they practice the centuries-old tradition of tent-pegging in Pakistan.

Less than a two-hour drive from the capital Islamabad, thousands gather at freshly ploughed grounds to watch the equine festival in a competition that can see riders tossed from their mounts, breaking bones or worse during the dangerous spectacle.

Tent-pegging competitions have been held in the subcontinent for hundreds of years but now have largely been reduced to the odd festival, with Pakistan's most populous Punjab province hosting the majority of such events.

Diehard fans of the cavalry sport worry that the tradition is on its last legs, in the absence of official support and a lack of popularity among the young, urban Pakistani masses.

Riders hold lances that are used to pick up pegs. —AFP

But in northern Punjab's Kot Fateh Khan, fans show up droves to cheer on the brazen riders, decked out in pristine white tunics and multi-coloured waistcoats on freshly polished saddles.

As announcers wail into microphones, riders with lances spur their steeds into a sprint toward small wooden blocks wedged in the earth, aiming to pierce the targets with their jousts.

“This festival has taken place from the 18th century,” Malik Atta Muhammad Khan tells AFP after taking a stab at a wooden block from horseback.

Festooned with garlands and colourful bridles, turbaned riders mounted on horseback in full gallop lower their lances at tiny wooden blocks as they practice the centuries-old tradition of tent-pegging. —AFP

Riders charge across a course holding a lance to pick up pegs at a tent-pegging competition. —AFP

Khan, who claims his great, great grandfather “eight generations back” once ruled Kabul, says over one thousand horses will participate at the week-long festival.

But despite the abundance of horses, participants fear their beloved sport is in dire need of fresh blood, as the number of breeders raising steeds and riders training for the competition continues to wane nationwide.

“The love of breeding horses has been... reduced to a few families,” says Haroon Bandial, a World Cup gold medallist.

Riders hold lances used to pick up pegs at a tent-pegging competition in Attock district. —AFP

Traditional drummers perform at a tent-pegging competition during an annual festival at the village of Kot Fateh Khan in Attock. —AFP

“Tent pegging is played a lot in Punjab, but it's limited to only three to four families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a couple of families in Balochistan and in Sindh also one family or so,” he adds, citing the enormous cost of raising horses as a barrier to entry.

Aficionados of the sport say they begin training the horses at 16 months of age, a process which can take over two years to complete, while riders need at least three years in the saddle to prepare.

However, Khan remains hopeful that the tradition still has the potential to grow.

“There are many events compared to previous years,” he explains. “Tent pegging is growing in every village and many people have started to take new horses."

Horse rider holding a lance or sword which is used to pick up wooden or cardboard pegs stuck in the ground as he hits his target. —AFP

Horse riders charge across a course holding a lance to pick up pegs at a tent-pegging competition during an annual festival at the village of Kot Fateh Khan in Attock district. —AFP

Comments (12) Closed

PHENOMENAL! WE NEED TO PROMOTE MORE OF THIS SPORT & SUPPORT AT A LOCAL LEVEL.

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Amer Rao Dec 06, 2017 08:18am

Amazing game.

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JimmyDec 06, 2017 09:18am

Excellent photographs. Thanks Dawn, for sharing.
This sport should be encouraged by the government and grants should be given to keep it alive and greatly publicized .

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Nasir DanishDec 06, 2017 12:43pm

Please visit Gilgit Baltistan you will find polo and peg both from centuries old tradition.

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ahmedjDec 06, 2017 06:00pm

Tent-pegging from Punjab and Polo from the Northern Areas are centuries old sport. A few years ago Pakistani polo players made us proud by playing the final of the prestigious Royal Windsor Cup in the UK. Pakistan Military and Police have thoroughbred horses. Equestrian sport is in Pakistan's blood and activities like equestrian and showjumping can be introduced to these people to represent Pakistan internationally.

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Javed ArshadDec 06, 2017 06:35pm

Nostalgic. Brought me back to my school days when we used to watch it in the then only and now encroached horse race course outside and in front of the Divisional Public School, Golf course and Iqbal stadium Lyallpur (now Faisalabad).

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JimmyDec 06, 2017 07:53pm

@M. Emad

You seem to be ignorant. Tent pegging is not a village game, but a game played on an a national level. Unfortunately the level of this game has not been raised by our Government. It has to be given more recognition and encouragement.

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TQDec 06, 2017 08:56pm

@M. Emad Tent Pegging is taught at Aitchison College Lahore which is one of the top schools. It is not a village game. It is played in many cities in Pakistan and other countries.